The Atlantic East Conference office released the 2023 All-Atlantic East Conference Men’s Swimming Teams Tuesday afternoon and the St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s swim team had an impressive nine members pick up all-conference honors.
Additionally, the Seahawks notched two of the three major awards as sophomore Luke Schwenk (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) claimed the 2023 Atlantic East Swimmer of the Year award and first-year Robert Shively (Potomac, Md./Walt Whitman) was named this year’s Atlantic East Rookie of the Year.
Schwenk garnered the Atlantic East Swimmer of the Year honor after winning three individual league titles and posting three championship meet records (50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 100 freestyle), two conference records (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle), and two school records (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle).
He was also part of one championship meet and conference relay record (400 medley relay) and two school relay records (200 and 400 medley relays). Schwenk collected a total of six medals over the three-day 2023 Atlantic East Swimming Championships. Last year, he was tabbed the Rookie of the Year.
Schwenk becomes just the second Seahawk to be named Swimmer of the Year, joining Hall of Famer Pat McGarrity ’99, who was picked as the 1999 Capital Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Year.
Shively made an immediate splash for St. Mary’s on his way to Rookie of the Year honors. He notched a pair of individual conference titles and set two championship meet records (200 butterfly and 500 freestyle) and two conference records (200 butterfly and 500 freestyle). Shively also set a school record in the 200 butterfly.
In addition, Shively was part of one championship meet and conference relay record (400 medley relay) and two school relay records (200 and 400 medley relays). He racked up five medals this past weekend.
Shively is the fifth Seahawk to earn the Male Rookie of the Year award, joining Chris Naleskiewicz ’03, Julio Zarate ’04, Cameron Hedquist ’11, who all notched the honor back in the CAC, plus Schwenk, won it last year for the Atlantic East.
Schwenk and Shively, along with senior captains Anri Cifuentes Robinson (Easton, Md./Easton), Jack Kennedy (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area), and Sebastian Ludwig (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) and first-year Jair Jackson (Laurel, Md./Chapelgate Christian) garnered both All-Atlantic East First Team and Second Team honors.
Junior Sam Shenot (Upper Marlboro, Md./Leonardtown) and first-years Carter Boone (Phoenix, Md./Loyola Blakefield) and William Kendrick (Laurel, Md./DeMatha Catholic) earned Second Team awards.
Other than Jackson, Boone, and Kendrick, all are repeat honorees.
Schwenk wrapped up his second year at the Atlantic East Championships with gold medals in the 50 freestyle, the 100 butterfly, the 100 freestyle, and the 400-medley relay while notching two silvers as a member of the 200 freestyle and 200 medley relays.
Schwenk tallied four First Team All-Atlantic East and two Second Team All-Atlantic East selections this weekend. For his career, he has amassed a total of 13 All-Atlantic East honors, including eight First Team awards.
In his debut, Shively received five all-league honors, including gold in the 500 freestyle, the 200 butterfly, and the 400-medley relay. He finished in the 400 individual medley and the 200-medley relay for a pair of silver medals. Three of the rookie’s five all-league honors were First Team awards.
Cifuentes Robinson nabbed a First Team all-conference honor as a member of the first-place and championship meet, conference, and school record-setting 400 medley relay team. He added two second-place finishes as part of the 200 freestyle and 200 medley relays for two Second Team All-Atlantic East awards. For his career, Cifuentes Robinson has earned nine all-league citations, including three First Team selections.
Kennedy added two more all-conference honors to his resume, including anchoring the record-setting first-place 400 medley relay for his second career First Team All-Atlantic East award. The team captain picked up a Second Team honor as the anchor for the second-place 200 medley relay, which set a school record. He now has eight career all-conference awards.
Ludwig reclaimed the 1650 freestyle conference title after first winning it in 2021. He now has three career First Team All-Atlantic East awards. The team captain wraps up his career with eight all-conference honors during his career.
Jackson notched his first career individual conference title in his debut as he touched the wall first in the 200 breaststroke. He also added a silver medal in the 100 breaststroke to finish the weekend with two All-Atlantic East awards.
Boone, Kendrick, and Shenot round out the all-league selections for the Seahawks. Boone earned Second Team All-Atlantic East with his second-place finish in the 1650 freestyle while Kendrick gained Second Team honors as the leadoff swimmer of the second-place 200 freestyle relay. Shenot increased his career total to eight Second Team all-conference awards by swimming Leg 3 of the second-place 200 freestyle relay this past weekend.
St. Mary’s College (9-6, 4-1 AEC) finished second at the 2023 Atlantic East Men’s Swimming Championships on Feb. 10-12, marking the first time since joining the Atlantic East for the 2020-21 season that the Seahawks have placed higher than third. The Seahawks took third in 2021 and 2022.